1 T or 2 ? PATERSON or PATTERSON

[brigidmac]

Is the difference in spelling a consistant difference
Indicating Scots or Irish origin ?

In Scotland
I found   Dugald Paterson a plumber aged 24 in 1901

Living with Catherine Macintyre(Forsyth)
Living with her children

A descendant says he fathered 2 children with her but 1 died in infancy

Catherine was referred to  as PaTTerson on her son s military papers

In 1929 emigration record to massachus

Plumber
Dougald PaTerson 49 m scot   
father is James Paterson
Of 46 Hill Cl

& iron worker
PaTTerson George 19 S English  father William PRESCOTT
English also 46 Hill Close

[bevj]

I am a Patterson, and apart from that, I am also busy at the moment transcribing Scottish BMD records for FreeReg.  In my ancestors and also in the records in general, I have found Paterson and Patterson used indiscriminately.
Someone once told me that one T was Irish and two Ts was Scottish, but I rather think it depended more on the person doing the writing

Bev

[brigidmac]

Thanks Bev
I was told similar about Mac and Mc
But same registrar but differentbspellings for my father 1930 and his elder sister .

[Craclyn]

You cannot expect consistency in spellings in the era before everyone was literate. It all depends on the preference of the clerk who wrote the record.

[Skoosh]

While clerks get the blame for this, the Patterson's I know in the Glasgow area are of Irish origin! No doubt they were Scottish originally? but a spell across the sheugh transformed Scots names, the US ditto. Colquhoun for example!

Skoosh.

[Andrew Tarr]

It's a bit of an overlap, but my wife has Pattinsons in her tree, and their descendants were most particular about the spelling - the line came from Alston in east Cumberland.  Occasionally they were recorded as Patterson or Paterson, presumably by recorders who wrote names they were familiar with. Few Victorian spellings are definitive, but most variants have become settled over time, and the owners get very attached to them.

[Kiltpin]

"Spelling is an adventure, not a science!"   
 
Regards   
 
Chas

[Rosinish]

That's one of the things I actually love about genealogy, the differences in spellings & I have researched quite a few with many spellings, not so enjoyable when it comes to looking for BMDs & paying full price for each/every/any i.e. English/Irish whereas the Scottish ones are so much cheaper & downloadable.

Always have an open mind where spelling is concerned.

Like Andrew Tarr, I was helping a friend 'Pattison' but further back his tree the name was Paterson/Patterson & maybe even Pattinson.

Annie

[Rosinish]

a spell across the sheugh transformed Scots names

Skoosh, you could have at least added how to pronounce it 

Annie